Christmas sucks, at least that is my old story. It’s what I told myself for a very long time based on Christmases past. This old story no longer is my truth, as I’ve actively worked to create change in how I feel about the holiday. I re-wrote my opinion of Christmas when my kids were little, over fifteen years ago.  Christmases of my childhood no longer define the Christmas of my present and future.

I invite you to create your own tale that doesn’t suck. Perhaps you have memories of seasons past where the holiday was chaotic, crazy, you got ill, you couldn’t wait for the month to be over and the only reason why you looked forward to the New Year was because you were ready for the holidays to be over and you wanted nothing more than to start a new, begin all over again.

What if you could celebrate or not, a season of peace and joy without the life-draining drama? We can’t erase the shit storm of life happening all around the world and in our own backyards but what if we received this holiday season, as a reset button, as a season to pause, reflect, come together (body, mind and spirit as well as with our neighbors) to reground, regroup and realign? Whatever your story is, loving Christmas, loathing it, or leaving it all together, here is my personal intention of what I want to create this month. Play along if interested. How you create your story is up to you.

In December, I, Jenny Gwinn McGlothern will:

• Practice what I preach.
  • As a life coach people pay me money to help them—I will apply what I offer to them where it is applicable in my own life.
  • Speak to myself kindly, get to bed before 10 pm, practice curiosity over judgment.

• Begin with a Full Cup.
  • I will continue the practice of filling my Cup with movement, stillness, reading, and listening each morning.
  • For me this can look a little different each day. It may involve a walk instead of getting to a row or spin cycle class, it may involve writing in my journal or meditating in silence for five minutes to a guided meditation on Insight Timer or it might be sitting by candlelight listening to the stillness of my breath.
  • Pick your simple practices, be it spiritual ritual, playing Wordle or running in place—find what is important to you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually and fit it into a metaphorical “to go” box. Short, sweet and to the point.

• Shop less.
  • No buying just because. Beyond purchases for my children this may be the year of something homemade for family and friends.

• Do less.
  • This is already the year of no Christmas cards, as I skip years, so I will take the time (110 holiday cards x handwritten notes x trips to post office) and I will read a novel, bake cookies, watch a movie, do nothing.
  • Not hosting a big gathering and accepting invitations based on what I need, giving myself permission to not feel obligated to anyone or anything.

 

As I continue to create my month of peace and joy, I encourage you to:

• Hop on the slow train and decide what values you want to honor.
  • For me, already mentioned, peace and joy.
• Abstain from pleasing everyone.
  • Saying no to attending something that you don’t have the bandwidth or energy for at the time.
• Leave should at the door.
  • Replace it with the word “must”.
• Write down a new tradition or ritual you are curious about.
  • Volunteering my time and making fudge are two I am curious about.
• Write down what you don’t won’t to repeat from Christmases past.
  • Doing something out of fear of letting others down.
• Write down what you want to experience and feel.
  • Peace and joy are mine, what about you?

 

If you want a simple Christmas then you must be willing to slow down, let go of how you have done it before and get clear about what matters most to your heart.

One day I will tell you about the story of dreading Christmas, fearing the season, but for now, no “should”, I must put on a kettle of water, delete all the email adds telling me I need to buy more and snuggle up with the question, “What must happen today to experience peace and joy?”

I would love to know what question you will ask yourself this season so that you can intentionally align with what Christmas means to you.

Cheers, Jenny